Members of law and enforcement agencies detained 81 Rohingyas on Monday when they were attempting to illegally enter Bangladesh through the Alikadam border in Bandarban.
Later, the detainees were sent to the Alikadam upazila administration office.
It was learnt that they were detained at various points along the Poa Muhuri border in the Kurukpata Union of Alikadam while attempting to enter. They were detained through three separate drives conducted by the upazila administration and law enforcement agencies. Among the detainees, 31 are children, and the remaining 50 are adults.
Sources said Due to the conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine state, security along the Naikhongchhari border in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban's Alikadam was tightened to prevent illegal entry. Following this, several people entered through the remote Kurukpata border in Alikadam with the help of human traffickers, exchanging money. Acting on a tip-off, security forces arrested them from various hilly areas.
Mohammad Shafi Ullah, a Rohingya citizen, said that they were sent through several borders in Alikadam under the guidance of traffickers at night in exchange for Tk 800,000. He further mentioned that after the traffickers took the money, they were sent by bus from the terminal to the Ukhiya Rohingya camp, but were detained on the way.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Alikadam Police Station, Mirza Zahir Uddin, said that the 81 detained Rohingyas have been handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for pushback. Alikadam Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rupayan Dev said that the Rohingya citizens were detained in three separate drives on Monday morning. The process to send them back through pushback is ongoing, and for now, they were handed over to the BGB.
